Internal-combustion engine



Feb. 10, 1948. c. E. suMMERs INTERNAL-'COMBUSTION ENGINE Original Filed July 24, 19H40 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR.

oALEB E suMMi-:Rs

ATTO RN EYS Fb 10 1948- c. E'. suMMEs 2,435,659

INTERNAL- COMBUST ION ENGINE Original Filed July 24,1940 5 Shafts-Sheet 3 INVENTOR. CALEB E. SUMMERS l ATTORNEYS Patented Feb. 10, 1948 2,435,659 A INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINE Caleb E. Summers, Orchard Lake, Mich.

Original application July 24,

1940, Serial No.

347,254, now Patent No. 2,314,175, dated March 16, 1943. Divided and this application February.

The present invention relates to internal combustion engines and their operation and has among its objects the more emcient supplying of fuel thereto and the more eilicient utilization of the fuel supplied.

Another object is a'method of operation and means by which a substantially full charge of air is introduced into the cylinders at all road loads while the fuel introduced is varied to accord with the load.

Another object is to approach characteristic Diesel part-load efnciency in a motor of relatively low compression.

Another object is a method of operation and means by which, under light load, a segregated charge of fuel-air mixture is burned to, in turn, heat the main and greater charge of air to expand the latter and thereby produce the piston movement.

Another object is toprovide for such latter operation under increasing fuel admission up to a predetermined load point and then for substantially discontinuing such segregated action and supplying fuel to the entire charge and igniting the latter.

Still other objects will readily occur to those skilled in the art upon reference to the following description and the accompanying drawings in which Figure 1 is a plan view of the cylinder head and showing a section of the carburetor on line i-l of Figure 3.

Figure` 2 is a vertical transverse section along the line 2-2 ci Figure 1, but showing also a section of the intake manifold and carburetor connection.

Figure 3 is a section along the line 3-3 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a section on the line 3-5 of Figure 2.

"section along the --line 4-4 ofl opened by the Figure 6 is a section on line 3-9 of Figure 2.

Figure '7 is a partial vertical section online 1-1 of Figure 8, and

Figure 8 is a sideelevation in part of end of Figure 4.

The drawings illustrate by way of example, a portion of a six-cylinder engine but it should be understood that the invention is equallyapplicable to engines having a greater or less number of cylinders, such as four-cylinder engines or enthe lower gines having'eight, twelve or more.

In the drawings, a portion of the cylinder head is indicated at il, the cylinders themselves be- 1943, Serial N0. 474,919

' 13 Claims. (Cl. 1123-119) ing indicated by the dotted outlines I2. A portion of the cylinder block I3 and also a portion of a piston I4 are shown in Figure 2 and it should be understood that these together with the remainder of the engine, apart from the illustrated and described in detail, are conventional.

In the drawings, a substantially wedge-shaped combustion chamber i5, communicates through inletvalve i4, with the inlet port i1, and inlet manifold I8, thence to the carburetor I3. The combustion chamber i5, also` communicates through the horizontally arranged venturi shaped openings 2l and 22, with a 4primary combustion chamber 23, this being a small chamber located to one side of the main combustion chamber l5, into which is fed a primary fuel-air mixture by way of the drilled passage 25, tube 2B, distributor 21, and tube 28, from the carburetor i9, the ow being controlled by the valve 24. v

As in the conventional engine, the exhaust valve 29 (Fig. 1 but otherwise not shown) establiihes a communication between the combustion chamber' I3, and an exhaust port and manifold in the conventional way.

The inlet valve I6. and the exhaust valve 29,

are actuated by rocker arms 30 and 3i respectively, the rocker-arms in turn being actuated by push rods 32, resting on conventional tappetsand cams not shown. The ,inlet and exhaust valves, therefore, are timed to open and close in the usual way, and serve well-known functions.

The rocker arm 30, however, carries an ad- :lasting screw 33, the lower end of which contacts the valve 24, a suitable lash being allowed between the end of the screw 33, and the top of the valve stem 24; thus when the inlet valve i6 is rocker arm 30, the small primary inlet valve 24 also opens, the opening of the latter valve being relatively less, due to its relatively shorter distance from the shaft 34, about which the rocker arm 30 pivots.

The carburetor I9, provided with a conventional float chamber 63, float S3, and float valve 39, is adapted to deliver fuel through the jets 52 and 53, into chamber 23A, which may discharge through the tube 23, and to the primary. chamber 23, or if valve 59 is open, air entering through the filter 60 reverses the ow of the jet 53, so that it discharges through the openings 5i into the throat of the carburetor.

In the throat of the carburetor are two valves 31 and 38, actuated by their respective throttle shafts, 40 and 4I, and linked together by the linkage 45. These are controlled by a diaphragm 32A and the rod 43. while a spring 1l, normally *,tensions the valves toward closed position.

fuel is all conducted v ber 23'. When greater than two-thirds torque They, however, cannot close vcompletely since they each have a. portion removed as indicated at 31A and 39A.

As the main throttle 36 is opened and the suction of the motor through drill I tends to create a vacuum on the diaphragm 32, air pressure entering through opening 19 on the opposite side forces the diaphragm in a direction to open the valves by means of the rod 43 vand the crank 44. This movement will continue until the valves are sumciently open so the pressure difference on the two sides of the diaphragm is just balanced by the tension of the spring 1I. Thus at all operating speeds a'low vacuum is maintained in the chamber 13 adjacent the discharge nozzles which together with the position of metering pins 55 and 55, meter the fuel. Also. a greater vacuum is maintained below the second valve which is impressed through the mani.- fold I8 to the combustion chamber 23, so there is a tendency to flow from the carburetor through the tube 28. When the motor operates at less than approximately two-thirds load, the metered to the combustion chamis required, the valve 59 4is lifted oil its seat and atmospheric air drawn in through the lter 50, and supplies more air than is discharged through the tube 28, so that the flow is reversed and air and fuel issue through the openings 5I into the throat of the carburetor and thus by way of the main manifold into the motor. The fuel metered by pin 55 continues to now through tube 28.

in tube 28 toward Metered fuel and vair flowing the primary combustion chamber 23, flows into the distributing block 21 (Fig.l 3), which distributor block 21 is connected to each cylinder by a separate tube as 25. These tubes are made to be of substantially the same length so their resistance to 110W will be substantially equal. The function of the distributor block is to distribute 4'5 and cams 12, 12A, 12B and 12C, fixed to shaft 45A, lie under the cross bars 53 which actuate the metering pins and valves and are so formed and arranged as to actuate the pins and valves as follows:

- form as to control the movements of the pins the fuel from tube 28 equally between thelvarious (in the case shown, six) cylinders.

The distributor block designated as a wholev by numeral 21, consists specifically of an outer casing partially filled by a,block 21A leaving a small chamber 21B in the upper portion, which block is provided with an axial passage 15, flared at its upper end to provide a funnel 54.

The passage 15 at its lower end divides into branches 13, one for each cylinder, which branches are enlarged near their ends and are connected each to a tube 25. branch 13 opens through a passageway 15 to the chamber 21B. The tube 28 also opens into chamber 21B and is. positioned directly over the funnel end 54 of passage 15.

In operation, the discharge from tube 28 falls directly intov funnel 54 and is distributed through passage 15, 13, and 14 to the several tubes 25. Any vapors separated in the funnel 54 will also be distributedvto tubes 25 55 and 14, so that there will be equal distribution of both the liquid and vaporous elements of whatever mixture is led in through tube 28.

The metering pins 55 and 55 and valve 59 and a second valve 54 are alll operated by means of lcams fixed to two shafts 46 and 45A, respectively,

connected in operating rela- 48 and crank arms 41 and 49 to the throttle shaft 39, and the shaft A being operatively connected to valve shaft 46 through crank ,46B and link 40A.

The cams 62. 52A. 52B and 52C xed to shaft through the passages i Further, each 55 and 55 chiefly by the movement of the air valves 31 and 38. For instance, the pin 55 is slightly open at idling and as the motor demand increases, .will be lifted by the opening movement of the valves 31 and 38, cam 12A being arranged to cause such lifting while cam 52A is arranged to have no eiect. With further increase in motor demand to and beyond a predetermined point, throttle movement begins vto lift pin 55 through the action of cam 52C and the pin 55 is lowered somewhat.

With the throttle 35 wide open and valves 31 and 38 also open, pin 55 is nearly closed. pin 55 is well opened, and the valve 59 is also open.

The action of the combustion chambers is as follows:

As the piston I4 moves downward on the intake stroke, the valve I5 opens to admit a new charge of air or mixture. The valve 24 also opens permitting a small volume of rich mixture to enter the primary combustion chamber 23. It will be noted the valve 24 is not located symmetrically with respect to the chamber 23, but is over to one side adjacent to the opening 2I, which is adjacent to the inlet valve I5. When the inlet valve I5 is open,.as indicated by the position IIA, the ow of air through the valve I5 is deflected so as to enter the passage 2|, and to partially scavenge the chamber 23, but owing to the distant location of the valve 24, from the outlet 22,y no part of the primary charge which has entered through the valve 24, leaves the chamber 23.

As the piston I4 moves to upper dead center on the compression stroke, a portion of the gases above the piston is forced through the combustion chamber I5, through the passages 2| and 22 into the primary combustionchamber 23. The

tangential entry of this stream of air gives roftrained air, after which the products of combuslti'on'xgfill discharge from chamber 23 into cham- Preferably the passage 2I is venturi shaped and its easier flow direction is out of combustion chamber 23, While the passage 22 is also venturi shaped and its easier ow direction is into combustion chamber 23. During compression, the

flow is into chamber A23 through both passages but more rapidly through passage 22. Ignition occurs while gases are still flowing into chamber 23, but as combustion and expansion proceed, the pressure in chamber 23-becomes greater than in chamber I5. At the moment of this reversal, iiow continues into chamber 23 through" passage 22, and out of chamber 23 through passage 2|. When combustion has reached every part of chamber 23, there will be another interval of balanced pressures in which there will be a flow out of chamber 23 through passage 2| and a flow into chamber 23 through the passage 22.

As the unburned mixture forced into chamber I5v unites with the oxygen and expands, the gases surge again into chamber 23 to be followed at equilibrium pressures by a continued flow into chamber 23 through passage 22 and a flow out of chamber 23 through passage 2|. This reverberating pressure action between the two chambers I5 and 23, and the fiow characteristics of the two venturi shaped passages 2| and 22, cause a commingling of the gases of the chambers I5 and 23. so that the over-rich mixture of chamber 23 is completely oxidized, partly by being blown into chamber I5, which has excess oxygen, and partly by the oxygen-rich gases ofchamber I5 being forced or drawn into chamber 23. All this occurs bythe time the piston is a little past top dead center. y

The maximum richness of the mixture` in chamber 23 will be about two and one-half times that of a balanced mixture. This will occur at full-load low speed when there is relatively a great time interval. change of 'gases between chambers I5 the passages, 2| and 22, are made relatively large. This large size lslows down the velocity of burning gases emerging from chamber 23 and together with the horizontal arrangement of passages 2I and 22 prevents the gases from' impinging forcefully on the wall of chamber I5.

To illustrate the method of operation, we will assume two load and speed conditions. In Case I, with the motor idling, the speed is gradually raised from five miles per hour to maximum speed. at iive miles per hour and held in that position as the speed increases to maximum. l

In starting the motor, after turning on the ignition, the operator partially opens the throttle valve'33 and through the'operation of the linkage, and the cams 32 and 32A at the same time opens somewhat valves 5I and 55. This provides for the admission, when the engine is cranked, of airV to the distributor 21 and thence to the chambers 23, when of course, such mixture is fired by the spark plugs. Y

Case I 'with the motor mung, throttle 3s is practically'closed, maintaining a vacuum in the maniand 23,

.fold o! approximately ten inches of mercury,

and valves 31 and 38 are at or near the closed position, the leakage past the cut off edges of vthe valves 31 and 38, and valve 35 cracked open being sufllcient to supply the motor with air. Fuel is being .fed only through Jet 52, which discharges through pipe 28, jet 53 remaining closed. The quantity oi fuel delivered is just suiilcient for a balanced mixture or a slightly richer than balanced mixturewith the air forced by corn-l pression into chamber 23, valve 54 opening proportionately to the throttle 36 is also nearly closed. The charge is ignited by the spark plug, 35, and the products of combustion iiow out into the main combustion chamber I5 through passages 2I and 22. v

As the load increases up o 40% full torque, i. e. the higher torque required to drive the car at a higher speed, there is no fundamental change in the method of fuel handling. The throttle will open somewhat more. and with it, the valve 54; the increase in the vacuum above the throttle, transmitted to the diaphragm chamber through passage 6I causes the diaphragm 32 to open the valves 31 and 33; the metering pin 55 controlling the jet 52 will be lifted by the cams 62A and 12A, so more fuel will be conducted to chamber 23 to maintain a balanced mixture with greater volume of air entering At approximately torque, chamber 23 reaches its full load condition; that is, chamber 23 filled with a balanced mixture at substantially air pressure will give the motor a torque equivalent to 40% of the maximum torque.

As more torque is required, and as the throttle is therefore opened further, the metering pin 55 starts to lift due to the linkage and to cams 62B rand 12B, and brings the jet 53 into action. The fuel also discharges through tube 28 and to the combustion chamber 23, thereby making an over-rich but finally approximately double To expedite the intert Ai5 `In Case II, the throttle is open widey the richness required for balanced mixture. This rich mixture when ignited by the spark plug 35, expands and discharges into chamber I5 through passages 2| and 22, combustion being completed by the oxygen contained in the air charge in combustion chamber I5. eAlso, owing to the disposed venturi shapes of passages 2| .and

22, a circulation occurs between the combustion chamber 23 and the combustion chamber I5, so the oxygen of combustion chamber I5 is I carried into chamber 23 as the over-rich mixture of combustion chamber 23 is carried out to unite with the oxygen in combustion chamber I5. Thus during the' intervals betweenr ignition and the time when the piston hasvstarted on its downward working stroke. combustion is completed in both chambers.

When approximately V4 torque is reached and Nat a speed above forty miles per hour, the positionof cams 52B and 12B combine yto lift the valye 53, which admits atmospheric air between the jets 52 and 53. The volume of air admitted` l by valve 53 is greater than the volume of air which is being drawn through tube 23, so a reversal of flow occurs with respect to the discharge from jet 53. The fuel from Jet 53 discharges the tube 5|) through the openings 5I, and mingles with the air passing through the carburetor and enters the engine through the main manifold I3, and the inlet ports I1. Thus at approximately 3/4. load, there is a sudden change from fuel in chamber 23 making an over-rich mixture therein to a substantially balanced mixture in chamber 23 and slightly more than half the balanced mixture in chamber I5. This rare-mixture would not be ignitable by a spark but is ignitable by the two flames which issue through passages j2I and 22.

As the load further increases up to maximum torque. and the valve 35 opened wider to meet such increase, the valves 31 and 38 open wider, and the metering pin 53 lifts highensupplying more fuel to be discharged through the tube 50 and the openings 5I into the main manifold. The full load and the high speed ideal condition is a slightly over-rich mixturein chamber 23, and a slightly under-rich mixture in chamber I5.

so that the total ratio of fuel to air is just balanced. It is noted that the metering pins 55 and 56 and the valve 59 are actuated by the Joint movement of the cams 62A, 62B, 62C and 12A, 12B, 12C acting on' their bars 63. The cams 62, 62A, 62B, 62C are actuated by a linkage connecting with the main throttle 36 while the cams 12A, 12B and 12C are actuated by a linkage connecting with the air valves 31 and 38; valve 34 is actuated solely by cam 62. the cam 12 being circular and acting only as a support for its bar 63.

Case II Where the throttle is open wide at low speed, and full torque at low speed is required, the throttle 36 is opened wide and therefore assumes a vertical position. The accelerator rod carries the throttle' crank 36A still further and actuates the cam 62 after the throttle 36 is wide open. Metering pins 55 and 56 are opened to positions proportioned by the air valves 31 and 38, also the throttle 36, so as to supply sumcient fuel to give a balanced mixture to all the air entering the motor. At the lower speeds, however, all this fuel flows through the tube 26 and is ignited in chamber 23. As the speed increases to approximately 30 miles per hour, the position of the air valves 3l and 38 is such that the cam 12 in conjunction with the position of cam 62 actuated by the wide open throttle lifts the valve 59 off its seat, so the fuel from jet 53 discharges into the main manifold. By keeping all fuel in chamber 23 at the low speed, detonation is prevented. By switching the fuel to both chambers at the higher speed, rapid combustion is obtained.

Since, under the conditions just stated, it becomes desirable to move the cams 62 and 62C after the throttle valve 36 is wide open, mechanism must be provided for this purpose. Such mechanism is clearly shown in Figures 4, 7 and 8.

In these figures the shaft 39 for valve 36 is shown as having fixed thereto the hub 39A carrying a T-shaped arm 33B, and has loosely mounted thereon the hub 39C provided with two arms 33D and 39E, set at a suitable angle, and connected Arespectively to the foot or hand throttle lever (not shown), or both, through link 39F, and to crank arm 41 through link 48.

Hub 39C is maintained upon the shaft by means of a suitable washer and cotter. The two hubs are rotatable together through the action of a suitable spring 39H, which holds one branch of the T-shaped arm 39B against the rearward surface of arm 39E and when rotated to full throttle position, the other branch of arm 39B strikes a stop 39K, allowing arm 39E to continue its movement.

This application is a division of application Serial No. 347,254, filed July 24, 1940, now Patent No. 2,314,175 issued March 16, 1943.

Now having described the invention and the preferred embodiment thereof, what I claim is:

1. In an internal combustion engine a primary and a secondary combustion chamber, separate means for feeding fuel mixture to said chambers, an air inlet conduit opening into the secondary chamber, a main throttle valve for controlling air flow to said secondary chamber, an auxiliary throttle actuable by the main throttle for controlling flow of fuel mixture to the prir'nary chamber, auxiliary air valves in said air conduit, means for positioning the latter valves in accordance with the difference in air pressure outside and inside of said conduit, means by which flow of fuel mixture to `the secondary chamber is conf 8 trolled by the position of both the main throttle valve and the auxiliary air valves.

2. In combination with an internal combustion engine having primary combustion chambers and secondary combustion chambers, a carburetor including a control throttle valve and adapted to feed fuel-air mixture to said chambers and including a passage into which fuel is induced, means for causing flow of fuel from said passage to the primary chambers and other means for largely diverting the flow from the primary chambers to the secondary chambers.

3. In the combination as set forth in claim 2, said other means including a pair of interconnected air resistance valves in the air passage of said carburetor and means for controlling their position in accordance with the sub-atmospheric pressure produced by their resistance to the air flow.

4. In combination with an internal combustion engine having a plurality of inlet valves for fuelair mixture for each. cylinder, a carburetor adapted to supply a different mixture to some of said inlet valves than to the others, said carburetor having a throttle, a plurality of fuel metering pins and a plurality of air valves, the latter preceding said throttle in the air inlet passage of said carburetor, and a plurality of means responsive to throttle position and to the position of said air valves acting jointly to control the movement of said metering pins.

5. In a carburetor having a throttle and adapted to deliver fuel to the cylinders of a multicylinder engine through two separate conduit systems, fuel means for controlling ow of fuel to the two systems, said means being responsive to throttle position and to the volume of air entering the engine.

6. In an internal combustion engine in which each of the cylinders are provided with a primary combustion chamber and a secondary combustion chamber, a carburetor adapted to supply fuel to said chambers and having a conduit leading at one end to the primary chamber supply means and at the other end to the secondary chamber supply means, means for feeding air and fuel t0 said conduit and to said primary chamber supply means, and other means for feeding air and fuel to said conduit and to said secondary chamber supplymeans.

7. An engine according to claim 6, in which both said means for feeding fuel to said conduit are under the joint control of the operator and the volume of air entering the engine.

8. In fuel metering and distributing means for an internal combustion engine a primary and a main manifold, va main throttle, fuel Jets discharging into said manifolds, certain of said .iets discharging into said primary manifold while the others are adapted to discharge into either manifold, means for selecting the manifold into which the latter jets discharge, and means for controlling such selection, said controlling means being responsive to the position of the main throttle and engine speed.

9. In fuel metering and distributing means for an internal combustion engine, a main air inlet,

a plurality of valves in said inlet, said valves being in series and connected together and each adapted to impose a restriction on the passing air, and means responsive to the drop in pressure caused by such restriction to open said valves.

10. In fuel metering and distributing means for an internal combustion engine, a main air inlet, a plurality of valves in said inlet, said valves assauts being in series and connected'together and each adapted to impose a restriction on the passina air, fuel jets and a conduit opening into the air inlet between said valves and into which said jets deliver fuel.

11. In an internal combustion engine, two manifolds through which fuel air mixture may be supplied to the cylinders of said engine, a metering tube connected at its opposite ends to said manifolds, a pair of fueljets discharging into said tube, an air admission orifice opening into said tube between said iets, and means for con trolling said orifice.

12. In a multicylinder internal combustion engine, a fuel metering device, a distributing head having a separate conduit leading therefrom to each of the engine cylinders, a supply conduit leading from said metering device to said distributing head, means in said head to collect and then divide equally between the several cylinders the liquid fuel coming from said metering device, and means in said distributing head to divide equally between the several cylinders the fuel vapors and air coming from said metering device.

13. In an internal combustion engine, a primary manifold and a supplying fuel-air main manifold, means for mixture to said entrino i0 through the primary manifold while air is'supplied through the main manifold and for regulating the supply of such fuel-air mixture according to load requirement, means for supplying supplemental fuel under higher load requirements and means responsive to throttle position and engine speed to divert the course of the entire supplemental fuel charge from the 'primary manifold to the main manifold.

CALEB E. SUMMERS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,054,080 Bachman Feb. 25, 1913 1,894,510 Ensign Jan. 17, 1933 1,905,258 Williams Apr. l25, 1933 1,926,020 Aseltine Sept. 12, 1933 1,948,825 Perrine Feb. 27, 1934 1,990,563 Parsons Feb. 12, 1935 2,011,992 Aseltine Aug. 20, 1935 2,011,993 Aseltine Aug. 20, 1935 2,016,696 Tlmian Oct. 8, 1935 2,066,923 Wolford Jan. 5, 1937 

